Gop Unites To Support Martinez Frey Backs Former Foe, Vows To Work For Him

TAMPA — Former political enemies turned warm and friendly Wednesday as Florida Republicans rallied around their new candidate for governor, former Tampa mayor and onetime Democrat Bob Martinez.

After conceding the worst defeat of his political career to a man he once called a cold-hearted technocrat, former Congressman Lou Frey Jr. of Winter Park appeared 12 hours later to hold hands with Martinez at a 9 a.m. press conference.

''We've had the privilege to be in a tough fight and the better man won,'' said Frey, who seemed upbeat despite his loss. ''This state needs Bob Martinez. I'm proud to be part of this team. I'm excited about it.''

Frey turned to Martinez, looked him in the eye and promised to ''go back on the campaign trail wherever you want me, however you want me.'' First, he said, ''I'm going to take one night's sleep because I'm a little tired.''

Unlike the close Democratic race, the GOP contest proved to be unexciting as Martinez took an early lead in Tuesday's balloting, ending with 258,894 votes, or 66 percent, compared with Frey's 131,837 votes, or 34 percent. Frey conceded at 9 p.m., two hours after the polls closed.

For Frey, Wednesday marked the end of a tough, sometimes bitter yearlong campaign that might have been over before it began. When Frey announced his candidacy Oct. 14, 1985, Martinez had been campaigning for nearly a year and had raised nearly $1 million. Frey never caught up.

For Martinez, the day marked the beginning of an even tougher battle -- a campaign to defeat apparent Democratic nominee Steve Pajcic to become Florida's second Republican governor this century and its first Hispanic governor.

The day began well for Martinez, who spent most of the runoff campaign planning for the general election. Not only did Frey endorse him, President Reagan telephoned at 10:20 a.m. to congratulate Martinez. They first met three years ago when Reagan welcomed Martinez into the Republican Party during a highly publicized White House meeting.

Martinez said he hopes Reagan will campaign for him but said no commitments have been made. Vice President George Bush, however, will appear for an Oct. 9 fund-raiser in Miami. Martinez also announced that former President Gerald Ford will attend an Oct. 11 fund-raiser in Tampa.

However, Martinez, who hopes to raise $3 million, did not have to wait for the big bucks to start rolling in. State GOP Chairman Jeanie Austin of Orlando, a former ally of Frey's who took a neutral stance in the campaign, presented Martinez with a $50,000 check from the state party.

That was enough for the normally reserved Martinez. He smiled, put his arm around Austin and kissed her cheek. ''I couldn't kiss Lou, but I'll kiss Jeanie,'' Martinez quipped.

It will take more than hugs and kisses from fellow Republicans for Martinez to win Nov. 4, though.

Although the state GOP has made dramatic gains in the eight years since Democrat Bob Graham defeated Republican Jack Eckerd in the 1978 Florida governor's race, it remains the minority party.

Republicans now make up about 35 percent of the registered voters, but Democrats are still in control with 57 percent. The rest of the voters are independents or belong to minor parties.

To win, Martinez must capture 80 percent of the Republicans, a third of the Democrats and two-thirds of the independents, said Martinez campaign manager J.M. ''Mac'' Stipanovich.

Although Martinez said he didn't care whether Pajcic or Attorney General Jim Smith won the Democratic nomination, most Martinez supporters and advisers believe Pajcic will be easier to beat.

Bill Hebrock, Martinez's professional fund-raiser, said it will be easier to raise money with Pajcic as the opponent.

Stipanovich said they will mount a full-court press to win over former Smith supporters, many of whom believe Pajcic is too liberal. Martinez has kept one eye on the general election throughout his 19-month campaign and already has a base of support in conservative North Florida, even though less than 10 percent of the registered Republicans live there.

Martinez said he has talked to several Smith supporters and planned to begin calling more. He said Pajcic is ''out of step with Florida's philosophy. But the issue is more than that. The issue is how Florida's government has been run.'' In Martinez's view, Pajcic must share the blame for many of the state's problems.

Stipanovich said he doesn't expect the general election campaign to get as brutal as the Democratic race, in which both candidates used negative advertising and accused each other of distortion.

''We'll continue to be as positive as we can afford to be,'' Stipanovich said. ''I don't think we have to spend our money to prove that Steve Pajcic's ambition exceeds his principles by light-years.''